Convertible With a Roof Which Can Be Stored in a Folding-Top Compartment

ABSTRACT

A convertible vehicle has a vehicle body with a passenger compartment defined therein and a rear region with a top storage well defined therein. A retractable roof is movable between a closed position extending over the passenger compartment and a stowed position in the top storage well. The top storage well has a base region that is movable between a raised position and a lowered position. The base region covers an intermediate space between the rearward side of the seats and the inner side of the rear roof region when the roof is in the closed position and the base region is in the raised position. A coupling linkage interconnects the base region with the rear roof region such that movement of the retractable roof from the stowed position to the closed position causes movement of the base region.

The invention relates to a convertible vehicle comprising a roof which can be stowed in a top storage well in the rearward vehicle region in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.

It is known to design the top storage well in variable size so that it achieves a maximum size for the reception of the roof and is reduced in size in favor of an adjacent trunk with a closed roof.

Such a design is shown in DE 298 09 008 U1. The vertically movable base of the top storage well here satisfies the function of downwardly bounding the top storage well only in the lowered position. In the raised position, it is without function and, due to its own extent, only bounds the available trunk.

DE 101 62 303 A1 shows a base part of a base of a top storage well which can be raised manually and forms a parcel shelf in the raised position. Such a raising, however, requires force expenditure and entails the risk of canting of the base of the top storage well extended over the total width of the passenger compartment. In addition, it must be securely latched at both sides at least in the upper position, which requires manual alignment and additional work and entails the risk of an operation error.

It is the underlying problem of the invention to achieve an improvement in a generic convertible vehicle here.

The invention solves this problem by a convertible vehicle having the features of claim 1. Reference is made to the further claims 2 to 7 with respect to advantageous aspects of the invention.

An additional function of the transposable base region which can be achieved comfortably is also achieved in a raised position by the invention in that said base region then serves as a parcel shelf and thus ensures that a visual cover is provided behind the rear or front seat backrests (with a two-seater), said visual cover extending up to the inner side of the rear roof end. To minimize the control and drive effort for the movable base region and to ensure a high operating comfort, the base region is connected to the roof and is movable from it with an upward component at least on its closing movement. The lowering can also take place via the parcel shelf's own weight. The parcel shelf can also be held in the upper position via the roof latched in the closed position without any latching to be set manually. In any case, both a manual raising of the at least one plate part, which is frequently bulky, and a difficult precise alignment to achieve the latching are dispensed with. The parcel shelf can in any case be used as an additional storage surface with a closed roof, which can represent a special additional benefit particularly with convertible vehicles which frequently provide a comparatively low available space.

For this purpose, the base region can be made in the manner of a tub with raised edges in order also to provide an extensive storage possibility in the raised position. In addition, the base region also serving as a parcel shelf in a dual function can advantageously also be designed to match the passenger compartment, for instance covered with a matching color leather.

This is particularly favorable since the parcel shelf is, for example, also easily visible from the outside through the rear window with a closed roof.

The base region can in particular be hung to the rear roof region via a coupling linkage so that the total upward and downward movement of the base region can be effected via this linkage. A defined and jerk-free movement procedure hereby results in both directions.

To minimize the space required for the coupling linkage, it can engage through the base region, for instance at longitudinally disposed narrow gap openings in the base region. For this purpose, flexible trimming, for example textile trim, can seal the passage space with respect to the parcel shelf. A falling through of small parts is thereby also prevented.

In addition, the base region can be held overall at the body via a covered multi-bar linkage arrangement, for example, a four-bar linkage arrangement, which communicates an additional longitudinal movement component in addition to the upward or downward movement controlled by the roof.

A gap which arises in this connection at the front side and/or rear side of the base region can advantageously be covered by a flexible width which is hung at the base region, which is particularly advantageous and which further improves the usability of the base region.

A particular relief of the stowed roof and of the movement mechanism results when the base region lies indirectly or directly on rear wheel housings in the lowered position and is thus supported thereby. In particular when a coupling linkage is provided, a secure and direct placing of the base region on the lower support surface also results on the lowering of the parcel shelf into its base region position without a manual precise alignment or readjustment also being required here.

The base region particularly favorably bounds an additional space which is a component of the top storage well in the lowered position of the base region and is a component of the trunk in the raised position.

Further advantages and features of the invention result from an embodiment of the subject matter of the invention shown schematically in the drawing and described in the following.

There are shown in the drawing;

FIG. 1 a schematic side view of a convertible vehicle in accordance with the invention broken away at the front part with a closed roof, partly broken away, and with a base region of the top storage well raised to the parcel shelf;

FIG. 2 a single-part view of the closed rear roof—for reasons of clarity drawn without a top—and of the parcel shelf in the position in accordance with FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a similar view to FIG. 2 during the roof opening and during the lowering of the parcel shelf associated therewith;

FIG. 4 a similar view to FIG. 3 with a fully lowered base region and a roof placed thereon during the starting roof opening and the thereby starting outward pivoting of the extension.

The convertible vehicle 1, shown only incompletely in the drawing, includes a movable roof 2 which can be stowed in a top storage well 3 in the rearward body region in its open state. The top storage well 3 is variable in size and includes at least one movable base region 4 for this purpose. The latter forms the total base of the top storage well 3 in the embodiment drawn and is movable up and down by the vertical difference h, with the movement not having to be a purely vertical movement, but can rather include a component in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Nor does it have to be a case—in contrast to what is shown here—of a parallel transposition of the base region 4.

As becomes clear from FIG. 1, with a closed roof 2 in the raised position of the base region 4, an additional space 5 then bounded thereby at the upper side forms a component of the trunk 6 disposed below and at the rear side of the top storage well 3. In the lowered position of the base region 4, it in contrast bounds the additional space 5 at the lower space. Said additional space is then a component of the top storage well 3 which is made larger by this additional space 5 and can receive the open roof 2.

The base region 4 acts in the manner of a parcel shelf in the raised position with a closed roof (FIG. 1, FIG. 2) and covers an intermediate space 7 which is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between a rearward end of seats 8 of the passenger compartment 9 and of the inner side 10 of the rear roof region. With a two-seater, the seats 8 are the front seats; with a four-seater or a vehicle with more seats, they in contrast represent parts of a rear seat row.

The parcel shelf 4 advantageously engages over the total intermediate space 7 and also seals with respect to the inner side 10 of the rear roof region, that is with respect to the lower edge of the roof below a rear window 11 which can be formed, for example, by a rigid material retaining bracket 14 such that not even any small objects, for example ballpoint pens or small children's toys, can fall through downwardly here. The rear edge 13 of the parcel shelf 4 is in particular drawn upward for this purpose and is disposed at a small spacing in front of the upper edge of the material retaining bracket 14 with a closed roof. A bending down of the edge 13 is then reliably prevented by the rigid material retaining bracket 14, even when the parcel shelf 4 per se is formed from a resilient light construction material.

The parcel shelf 4 can additionally have a tub-shaped character overall to improve its utilization possibility also as a reception space for light objects, for example also jackets or the like, with a closed roof 2. A design as a one-piece molded part is possible in this connection.

The movable base region 4, which forms the parcel shelf with a closed roof 2, is connected to the roof 2 here for its movement and is movable thereby at least on its closing movement (transition from FIG. 4 to FIG. 2). Neither a separate drive nor a separate control for the movement of the parcel shelf/of the base region 4 is thereby required. A manual manipulation and alignment of the wide base region 4 is avoided.

The reverse movement (transition from FIG. 2 to FIG. 4) could also take place via the inherent weight of the base region 4 on the lowering of the roof 2. Here, however, it is linked via a coupling linkage 15 to the roof 2 such that the latter clearly defines the state of the base region 4 in every phase of the movement. This coupling linkage 15 also holds the parcel shelf 4 in the raised position with a closed roof 2 and can pull said parcel shelf from below in a sealing manner toward the region 10 of the roof 2. A substantial weight load of the parcel shelf 4 is possible due to the forced connection 15 to the closed roof 2 which is latched to the windshield frame.

The base region 4 can moreover be linked to the body K at each vehicle side via a multi-bar linkage, here a four-bar linkage with links 16, 17 arranged longitudinally in the vehicle. These links 16, 17 are connected fixedly with respect to the body at two joints and are movably connected to the base region/the parcel shelf 4 at two joints. The axes of these joints are disposed transversely to the vehicle. Since the links 16, 17 extend rearwardly from the joints at the body side toward the parcel shelf 4, its downward movement is associated with a movement component rearwardly against the direction of travel F.

To be able to cover a gap 18 arising in this connection, a flexible width, for example a textile width, can provided at the front side and/or also at the rear side of the base region 4 to bridge the gap. The usability is thus further improved; small parts are also reliable secured against falling through.

The coupling linkage 15 engages through the base region 4 at both transverse sides laterally in each case in, for example, slot cut-outs, and includes a first link 19 held at the body K and a second link 20 here hingedly connected to the frame of the rear window 11. The links 19, 20 can be folded on one another at the joint 21 on the opening and lowering of the roof. An intermediate link 22 is provided as a linking element at the base region/the parcel shelf 4 and connects the link 19 thereto. The intermediate link can also engage at a joint of the link 16 or 17 such that no separate joint is required at the parcel shelf 4 for this purpose. The opening movement or closing movement of the roof controls the movement of the parcel shelf/of the base region 4 in a clear manner.

A relief of the kinematics can be achieved if the base region 4 does not introduce any force, or only a small force, into the coupling linkage 15 with an open roof (FIG. 4), but is rather supported on lateral wheel housings 12, with supports or the like being able to be attached to the wheel housings 12 for this purpose.

In addition, the base region 4 does not have to be self-supporting due to the holding thereof at the roof 2. Stiffened portions which would have to lend the base region 4 increased stability, in particular at lateral transverse edges, can thus be dispensed with or can be reduced. The construction height of the base region/of the parcel shelf can thus also be reduced so that more room remains for the trunk even in the raised position. This represents a further special advantage of the invention. 

1.-7. (canceled)
 8. A convertible vehicle comprising: a vehicle body having a passenger compartment defined therein and a rear region with a top storage well defined therein; seats disposed in the passenger compartment, the seats having a rearward side; a retractable roof movable between a closed position extending over the passenger compartment and a stowed position in the top storage well, the retractable roof having a rear roof region with an inner side, an intermediate space being defined between the rearward side of the seats and the inner side of the rear roof region when the roof is in the closed position; the top storage well having a base region that is movable between a raised position and a lowered position, the base region covering the intermediate space when the roof is in the closed position and the base region is in the raised position; and a coupling linkage interconnecting the base region with the rear roof region such that movement of the retractable roof from the stowed position to the closed position causes movement of the base region.
 9. A convertible vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the coupling linkage extends through the base region.
 10. A convertible vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising a multi-bar linkage interconnecting the base region to the vehicle body.
 11. A convertible vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising a flexible cover attached to a front side and/or a rear side of the base region.
 12. A convertible vehicle according to claim 8, wherein vehicle body includes rear wheel housings, the base region being supported by the rear wheel housings when the base region is in the lowered position.
 13. A convertible vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the base region bounds an additional space which forms part of the top storage well when the base region is in the lowered position and which is a component of a vehicle trunk when the base region in the raised position. 